Gurusinha was called up at 19 as a wicket-keeper, a role he took in a further two ODIs and one Test. He gradually established himself as a No. 3 batsman, playing 33 Tests and 109 ODIs in that position, and was described by Simon Wilde of Cricinfo as "the rock on which Sri Lankan batting was founded". He was also known for his big stature and wide stance when batting. When he retired in 1996, only Sri Lanka's captain Aravinda de Silva had made more Test hundreds, with eight compared to Gurusinha's seven.

Gurusinghe was one of the main pillars of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup winning Batting line up. His application at the crisis situations to drag the team scorecard was a major highlight for those who watched the World Series tournament back in 1996.Actually he was the unsung hero of Sri Lankan line up who won the 1996 Cricket World Cup.